


Mellie's Luck...A Time For Caring

by darluvscaryl



Category: Walking Dead RPF
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-20
Updated: 2015-04-10
Packaged: 2018-03-18 17:22:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3577698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darluvscaryl/pseuds/darluvscaryl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Melissa goes from the dark to the light with the help of Norman and his love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Life's Blessings

**Author's Note:**

> This story actually time jumps from the future, back. The first chapter was written for the Good Luck challenge at Nine Lives and the rest of the story will take us back in time, via a prompt from LAH on NL.

"Pwease mommy! Tell me the storeeyy again!! It's my most favrit! Pweeeease!?," pleaded a spunky little 4 year old, blue eyed, auburn haired girl. She fluttered her little eyelashes as her mom's friend Danai had taught her to do if she wanted something from her daddy. 

"Ok, Paislee, ok. I will tell you the story of mommy and daddy's trip to Minnesota and how we found you the most beautiful dreamcatcher." Melissa snuggled into the bed and wrapped her arms around her daughter as Norman walked through the door.

He shook his head, grinned and said, "Really, Mellie? Again?"

"It makes her happy! I got the eyelash flutter and everything."

"Yeah, daddy, it makes me happeeeeee!!," she squealed as she leapt into her daddy's arms.

"What? You gave mom the eyes? I thought that was our thing," he teased as he tickled her climbing in on the other side of the bed. 

"Oh dad!," Paislee laughed as she laid her head on his shoulder. 

"Ok, love. Daddy and I had finished at work for about a week and wanted to take a little vacation somewhere we had never been to before. A friend of mine told me about a vacation she took on a resort in northern Minnesota. The resort was close to a town called Cass Lake and a slightly larger town called Bemidji. It was an area that was full of lakes, trees and plenty of friendly people. Dad and I got to do many neat things while we were there such as fishing, canoeing, waterskiing and one of my favorite things, taking long walks through a big forest called the Chippewa National Forest."

Melissa looked down to see Paislee's eyes wide open as Norman continued.

"The third day of our vacation, we found out that mom was pregnant with you." Norman looked over and caught Melissa's eyes. He reached across and grabbed her hand when he saw that she had tears in her eyes. "We were both surprised and excited when we found out because mom always thought she couldn't have kids."

"'Cause the doctor told her her body was broken, right dad?"

"That's right sweet pea, the doctor had told her that a long time ago. Anyway, we were so excited we were going to have you, we wanted to go buy you your first present. We went to a craft show and walked around looking at all of the nice things. Your mom really wanted to find a special gift that would remind us of Minnesota, because that is where we were when we found out about you. As we rounded the corner, we saw the dreamcatchers hanging there at a little booth."

Melissa squeezed Norman's hand and he knew she wanted to continue. Before Melissa could continue Paislee took her hand and put it on top of theirs. She smiled up at her mom and nodded for her to continue.

"Your dad and I walked over and asked the lady what they were. She proceeded to tell us that they were called dreamcatchers and they would keep the bad dreams away. The Ojibwe Indians are the ones that originally thought of the idea for the dreamcatchers long, long ago. The legend tells us that the dreamcatchers were hung above where the babies would sleep. The bad dreams will get caught in the web, but the good dreams will slide through the hole in the middle. There is a feather placed on it, which means air. They say it helped the babies breathe while they were sleeping. The four beads represent the four directions people travel and it is the shape of a circle because..."

"That is the sun moving in the sky, mommy!," interrupted Paislee. 

"You are right, my girl." Melissa pushed her daughter's unruly locks out of her eyes as she spoke softly, "We have told you this story so often I think you could tell it to us."

"Mom, you forgot the green and yellow!"

"Oh, how could I forget! Your dad and I picked out the one with the green and yellow beads on it because green is your dad's favorite color and the yellow is mine."

Paislee had a big smile on her face that was suddenly interrupted by a huge yawn. "Time for bed, munchkin," said Norman as he slid out of the bed and pulled Paislee towards the middle. 

Melissa slid out the other side and snuggled the blanket around Paislee as the little girl pulled her stuffed version of Carol and Daryl, that her "Uncle Rook" had made for her, nice and close. 

"Goodnight, sweetpea," said Melissa as she kissed her girl goodnight. 

"Night, my girl, said Norman as he snuggled in her neck and blew raspberry kisses. 

Paislee squealed as she said, "Night mommy, night daddy, I love you!"

"Love you, too," they said in unison as they closed the door behind them.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They settled in on the couch and smiled at each other as they thought about their little girl asleep in the next room.

"We are truly blessed, aren't we?," said Norman as he grabbed her feet and starting rubbing lotion into them.

"When I think about everything that happened leading up to her, it chokes me up at the thought that is was so close to not happening...I can't hardly breathe," she said as she put her head back and closed her eyes. 

"It was a rough time, Mellie, but we are here now. We made it, and she is proof of our love."

Smiling, as Norman's words wrapped her in comfort, Melissa thought back to those extremely tough days...


	2. Cruel Words

5 years earlier...

As Melissa left the little coffee shop she frequented, her phone began to vibrate continuously. When that happened, she knew it was one of two things. The Carol/MMB/Caryl fans were riled up about something or Norman was messing with her again. She climbed in her car and swiped her phone open. Her Twitter notifications multiplied before her eyes. Shocked by the sheer amount, she opened her account. Ever since the character of Beth had been killed off, she was bombarded with random sets of Twitter blasts from both fan bases. Her fans were a passionate group and as often as hurtful things were said by the Beth fans, the Carol fans responded three fold. Not knowing what she was facing, she elected to wait until she got home to read some of what set her supporters off.

\---------------------------

As she shut her iPad down, a huge sob escaped from her. The mid season finale was hard enough to film, with having to say goodbye to Emily, but now, the aftermath of the Beth fans was quite overwhelming and unexpected. She tried to stay away from the awful things that were being said about her on social media, but it was like a car accident, you couldn't help but look.

She went over and laid on her couch as the tears streamed down her face. Curling into a ball, she covered herself with a blanket as one of the worst things she read played over and over again in her head. Someone actually thought that she had 'slept with Scott, just to get Carol to stay on the show and get Beth killed off'.' The pain that statement caused resonated deep within her as she began to rock back and forth. 

Didn't people realize that this was a tv show; that this was her job? She tried so hard to develop a character in Carol that people could be proud of. Oftentimes when she spoke of Carol, she talked about taking the journey of Carol's transformation side by side with her. While she appreciated the passion the fans had for the show, it amazed her at how some struggled with the difference between real life and a tv show. 

Lincoln laid on the floor next to her as she felt a tension headache coming on. Whenever she was stressed or extremely upset, she was guaranteed to get a headache. People often thought she stayed away from cons and talk show appearances because she preferred privacy, but in all actuality, it made her life easier when she stayed out of stressful environments. Cursing herself for letting it happen, she went to the kitchen and took medicine in hopes of lessening the pain before she had to go to bed. She sat back down and patted the couch for Lincoln to join her. He hopped up and settled in next to her as he laid his head in her lap. Lincoln enjoyed the love and it was soothing for her at the same time. 

Distracted by Lincoln, her phone rang. She grabbed it and saw it was Norman. Swiping it, she silently cursed herself for answering. Norman knew her well enough that he would be able to tell by the tone of her voice that something had upset her.

"Hello?"

"Hey sweetheart."

Trying her best to cover her emotions, she stated brightly, "Norman, how are you!?"

"What's wrong, Mellie?," said Norman with instant concern.

"What are you talking about?"

"Why do you think you can trick me every time? McBride, I know you well enough that I can tell you have been crying. You have that stuffy nose tone to your voice."

"Oh, that, that is just allergies. The pollen has really kicked in down here," she squeaked out as the tears began to silently fall again. Whenever she heard the concern in his voice, it never failed, she would choke up instantly.

"Seriously? Pollen? I know you are upset, Melissa. Let me help you, talk to me."

"Norman, I would really rather not talk about it right now. Could I give you a call back tomorrow, when I have myself more in check?"

"Do you promise you will call? Whenever you need to."

"I promise. Goodnight, Norman." 

When he heard the dial tone in his ear, he stared at his phone in surprise. She never disconnected without their little game of "You hang up, no, you,hang up first." It was a standing joke that began after a cameraman on set heard them arguing about a scene during season two, and claimed they sounded like a married couple. Cecilia didn't like it and expressed her dislike often, but Norman knew this was he and Mellie's thing, and that wasn't going to change. He began to put his phone on the table when he stopped and sent a quick text to her.

'I'm worried about you. Please call me if you need me. L, N' He wasn't sure if he would hear back from her, but about two minutes later she responded. 'TYVM. L, M'


	3. Sinking Lower, Closing Off

As the holidays passed by, Norman and Melissa continued to talk on the phone and send each other random texts. He was busy traveling to Japan and shooting a movie, but he always took a moment to touch base with her. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to him, she continued to read the Beth/Bethyl fan blogs and tweets and fell into an even deeper depression. Most days she didn't want to get out of bed, but she had to take care of Lincoln.

She packed for her trip to the Dallas comic con, with a heavy heart. All she wanted to do was stay in Georgia, but owed it to her fans to go. Luckily, she had her flights scheduled to get her in and out fairly quickly. The fans in Dallas were delightful, but her heart just wasn't in it. She had smiles and laughter when needed, but inside, she just wanted to be alone. There is only so much negativity someone can have in their life, before it begins to wear them down. The Beth fans were relentless with their derogatory remarks about her hair, her clothes, how Carol should have been the one to die, etc. After she got back to the hotel, she showered and got settled into bed. She knew she should eat something, but decided against it as she really didn't have much of an appetite.

\--------------------------

Norman knew she was done with her first day at the con and wanted to talk to her. He was tired from filming, but needed to hear her voice. He put out his cigarette as she answered in a tired voice, "Hello?"

"Hi, Mellie. How is my favorite lady?"

"I'm fine. Looking forward to getting back home after this con closes tomorrow. How is filming going?

"Not bad, busy, as usual."

"I have told you a million times to slow down before you collapse from exhaustion," she said with a hint of irritation in her voice.

"No worries, I have everything under control," he chuckled as he took a slug from his energy drink.

Suddenly, she found herself angry with him, "Put the energy drink in the garbage and go to bed. I hate that you do this to yourself all the time, Norman! You aren't going to do Mingus any good if you are laying in a hospital unable to take care of him."

"Whoa, slow down. Where did this come from?,"he replied completely taken aback by her sudden change of emotions.

"Nevermind. I am just tired and want to go to sleep. I will talk to you later, be safe. Take care of yourself."

"Wait, what?"

"Don't worry about it. We'll talk soon. Bye, Norman."

"Bye, Mellie." 

After they hung up, he thought about the last few conversations he had had with her. They used to talk for hours, but lately, they were short, meaningless interactions between them. The more he thought about it, the more his concern grew.

\----------------------

She breathed a sigh of relief when she set foot in her house and heard a single woof come from Lincoln's kennel. "Yes, I am home, big guy. Hold on." She put her bags in her bedroom and then let him out. She sat on the floor to give him sugar, "It is a rough life, isn't it Lincoln-Tincoln? Bree treat ya bad, did she? Yes, she treats you so horrible." He licked her face in response and then trotted off after a few moments. She went to the kitchen to make herself a salad. Her phone beeped and she picked it up to see that Norman had texted her again. Knowing that he would be persistent, she responded with a quick 'Talk to you later.'

Her salad was half eaten when she dumped the rest in the trash. She just didn't have much of an appetite these days, but was happy when she at least ate something. Climbing into bed, she discovered how tired she was and drifted off to sleep.

Over the next week, Norman called and texted constantly, but she didn't answer. She spent most of her day in bed with the shades drawn and her iPad next to her. The only time she left the house was to walk to grab the mail or let Lincoln out in the yard. She wasn't eating very much, so she didn't need to go to the store because her house was stocked pretty well. The littlest things seem to set her off and she spent a lot of time crying, but Melissa didn't notice that what was going on was affecting her overall well being.

\------------------

Norman finished taping the movie he was working on and wanted to head to Georgia to see Melissa. He tried several times to reach her, but to no avail. She was not answering her phone or his texts. Becoming impatient, he called Danai, Steven, Michael and Andy to see if they had talked to her, but they hadn't heard from her either. Steven reminded him that she oftentimes kept to herself for weeks at a time, but Norman was worried because even if it was only a single text, he heard from her every time he tried to reach her. The more days that went by, the more concerned he became. He even talked to Yvette Nicole Brown, who had said she tried to call her two or three times, but didn't hear back from her either. Knowing it had been a few weeks since anyone had heard from her, he planned an instant trip to Georgia. It was time to head down there and find out what the heck was going on with her.

He made sure to schedule an early morning flight so as to not draw too much attention to himself as he travelled down there. He wanted to be able to get to her, with minimal attention because he didn't know how long he would be staying. When he arrived at his place, he opened up the windows to let the fresh air in and jumped in the shower. As he got dressed, he actually started to get a bit nervous at what he might find when he got to her house. He took his bike, so he could park it at her place undetected. It felt like it took years to get there, but when he parked, he knew he made the right choice. Her flower gardens in front had started to become overrun with weeds and at twelve-thirty in the afternoon, the shades were all drawn closed.

When he knocked at the door the first time, there was no answer. He knew she was home, because her car was in the driveway and when he called her cell, he could hear it ringing inside. He knocked louder and after a moment, he began to fish her spare key out of his pocket. As he began to put it in the lock, the door opened slowly and the sight before him instantly filled his eyes with tears.

"Oh, my gosh, Mellie..."


	4. Lean On Me

She spoke quietly as turned and walked into the house, "Norman, what are you doing here?" 

He closed the door behind him as he tried to pull himself together. Physically, he could see she had dark bags under her red rimmed eyes, had lost about fifteen pounds and what he found most disturbing was the sparkle she always had in her eyes was gone. "I kept trying to reach you, but you wouldn't answer my texts or calls. What is going on?"

"What do you mean? Nothing is going on. I am just relaxing until we have to go back to work."

He walked over to her and gently turned her to face him. Taking her in his arms, he hugged her gingerly for fear he might hurt her. They held each other for a few minutes and he could feel her shaking in his arms. Pulling back from her, he was surprised because, normally, she made eye contact immediately when they were in an embrace, but he could sense a hesitation in her. He lifted her chin and said, "I know something is up, Mellie. No matter how much you like your quiet time, you always respond to me at least once. When I kept trying and wasn't getting an answer back, I knew something was wrong."

"I should have known that you would be the one to track me down," she said with a small smile. "Come on in and have a seat on the couch. I will make us some coffee and we can talk."

"Better yet, you have a seat at the kitchen table," he said as he made his way to the fridge. "I can tell you are not eating and that is not good. Now that I am here, I am going to make sure you eat." She was looking down at the table while he was talking. "Look at me, sweetheart." She looked up and caught his eyes. "You are no longer alone. I am going to help you power through whatever is eating you inside and causing you to close yourself off." He saw tears instantly fill her eyes and knew he had struck a chord with her.

\------------------

After lunch, they went into the living room and got comfortable on the wide recliner she had purchased for her and Lincoln to snuggle on. He got himself settled and then she climbed up next to him. He pulled her so she was half laying on him, half snuggled into his side. She rested her head on his chest and was quiet for a few minutes. "Norman, tell me about filming. I need a little time to put my thoughts in order." 

"I can do that." Over the next ten minutes he talked about the desert, the people and antics that took place on set. He paused for a moment when he realized she hadn't spoke for a few minutes. Hearing a gentle snore come from her, he knew she had fallen asleep. Knowing sleep had eluded her for quite sometime, he didn't move an inch. Instead, he decided to take advantage and snuggled her closer while he drifted off to the rhythm of her breathing.

She woke up feeling warm and content. Looking over at the clock she was surprised to see it was six thirty. They had slept for six hours. Turning, she looked up and caught him looking down at her. "Hey," she said with a smile.

"Hey yourself. How did you sleep?"

"Honestly, that is the best I have slept in a long time."

"Good, I am glad to hear you say that. I told you I am here to help anyway I can."

"You always take care of me, don't you?,"she said as she gave him squeeze.

Norman tucked her hair behind her ear and simply stated, "We take care of each other."

She nodded as she began to sit up. "Why don't we order some pizza and then we can talk?"

"That sounds great."

The pizza showed up a little while later and they made pallets on the floor around the coffee table. Melissa put on her stereo and they dug in. They made small talk while they ate as Norman didn't want to push her. Eventually, she sat back and patted her belly. "I haven't had the appetite to eat like that in a long time."

"Good, I am glad to hear that."

She lifted her wine glass to him and they toasted each other. After taking a sip, she set her glass down and took a deep breath. "Norman, do you remember all the hate that started to come out after Beth was killed off the show?"

"Yes, I remember seeing things out there. Why?"

"Did you ever see some of the things things that were said to me and about me?"

"Mellie, you know better than to read that stuff. Those fans are vicious and can be horrible behind the safety of the internet."

"It is not that easy. Everyone loves you and Daryl, but not so much for me and Carol. To be honest, once I started looking, I had to search for more. I worked so hard to develop Carol's character and the things they were saying were so upsetting. When they started attacking me, it hit home that much more."

His eyes narrowed as he said, "What are you talking about?"

"Hell, you name it, they said it. Why don't I dye my hair so I don't look so old? Why would anyone want you and I to get together, you could do so much better." Tears began to fill her eyes as she whispered, "They actually said that I slept with Scott to get Beth killed off so Carol could stay on."

He quickly got up and went over to her. Gathering her in his arms, he placed her on his lap and snuggled her against him. "I'm so sorry, Mellie. I had no idea that things were this bad. I'm sorry that I wasn't here sooner."

She quietly cried as sobs wracked her body. It felt so good to have him here with her. She longed to draw comfort from him as she had done in the past. They were such good friends and she often found herself wishing it could be more. "It's ok...you...are here....now." Tucking her face into his neck, she clung tightly to him.

"You know you are my girl. I would do absolutely anything for you and going to stay here with you until you are feeling more confident in your amazing abilities. Seriously, amazing doesn't even begin to describe you, honey. How many times have you saved me? You were my biggest support when I collapsed a few months ago." Tears began to roll down his cheeks as he thought of what he would do if he didn't have her in his life. "I am a better person when I am with you. Please don't ever forget that."

They held each other as they both came to the realization of how strong they were when they were together. "Mellie girl, look at me." She looked up at him as he said, "I am not always good with the words, but I want to play something for you that can say it better than I can. I really think this is what we do for each other. It is an amazing song by a singer, Sam Smith. Really listen to these lyrics."

She sat up as he went over and put his iPod on her docking station. He made his way back over to her and they entwined themselves back together as the music began to play.

 

Yes, I do, I believe  
That one day I will be  
Where I was right there  
Right next to you.

And it's hard  
The days just seem so dark  
The moon, the stars  
Are nothing without you.

Your touch, your skin  
Where do I begin?  
No words can explain  
The way I'm missing you.

Deny this emptiness  
This hole that I'm inside  
These tears   
They tell their own story.

Told me not to cry when you were gone  
But the feeling's overwhelming, it's much too strong.

Can I lay by your side?  
Next to you, you  
And make sure you're alright  
I'll take care of you  
I don't want to be here if I can't be with you tonight.

I'm reaching out to you  
Can you hear my call?  
This hurt that I've been through  
I'm missing you, missing you like crazy.

Lay me down tonight  
Lay me down by your side  
Lay me down tonight  
Lay me by your side  
Can I lay by your side?  
Next to you  
You

When the final note played, she sat up and looked at him sitting with tears in his eyes. Gently she began to caress his cheek...


	5. I Want You For Me

Norman woke the next morning and had to take a moment to remember where he was. Suddenly, the memories of yesterday came rushing back. The day had taken a toll on him, but he knew that meant it drained Melissa that much more. The evening ended with them wrapped up in each other offering comfort they both apparently needed.

After the song finished playing neither of them said anything, but Melissa did something that took him by surprise. She reached up and stroked his face. Neither of them minded affection, but what caught him off guard was the way he felt when she did it. They stared deeply into each other's eyes as she held his cheek. Why was he feeling differently about this contact?   
He sensed she felt it too, because her cheeks flushed a soft pink color. He grasped the hand that touched his cheek and held it. Melissa had always been such a good friend to him. She was patient with his wild ways, accepting of his need for closeness, and open to trying new things as long as they did it together.

He came to Georgia to make sure she was alright, but came to the realization that maybe he needed her as much as she needed him. 

Melissa rolled over and looked at the clock blinking a few times to make sure she was reading it correctly. Nine thirty in the morning!? She could not remember the last time she had slept that late. Norman showing up was such a comfort to her and the sad thing is, he will never realize how much it meant. He was the type of person that even if you said the words to him, he would take it with a grain of salt and move on. She smiled when she thought back to the peace she felt while they held each other. She knew him well enough that she understood that he was taking as much from her as she was from him. They always seemed to fit together so well; body, mind and spirit. When she touched his cheek, it felt so right. Like she had been doing it for years and it was perfectly normal. She knew for the two of them, it was far from normal.

Lincoln walked in through the door that was slightly ajar and began to whine at her. She knew him well enough to know that he was wanting to go out and eat. As she was putting her robe on, she caught the scent of fresh brewed coffee, and what smelled like baking bread. She walked out to the kitchen and was surprised to see Norman preparing them breakfast.

He looked up at her and smiled, "Good morning, Mellie. I hope you are hungry. We have sliced fruits, assorted cheeses, and fresh baked croissants. Of course, we both know your addiction is the fresh brewed coffee in the carafe." She simply nodded and made her way over to the table. 

"Thank you for all of this. It wasn't necessary, but I sure appreciate it." Looking up she caught him staring at her. "I am really glad you came yesterday. I didn't realize what I was doing to myself, but I know for a fact that I hadn't slept that well in a long time and that is because of you."

He came and sat next to her and began to fill both of their plates. "I would do anything for you, McBride, you should know that by now."

Laughing at the use of their last names, she said, "Yes, Reedus, I know."

They ate their breakfast while carrying on a conversation that seemed to avoid the rather large elephant in the room. Norman knew he needed to find out what was going on with her, but decided to wait until they could sit and relax. She had a lovely deck out back with a nice pond off to the left. There was a porch swing built next to the pond that had large throw pillows on it that would lend itself nicely to the conversation they were going to have.

After they cleaned up Norman grabbed the carafe as they carried their mugs outside. They settled in on the swing and slowly began to rock as they looked out over the pond. "Mellie, what happened to you?"

"I am not quite sure, to be honest with you. I normally don't even pay attention to what is said on social media, but I couldn't seem to stop this time. It became an obsession. The more I read, the more depressed I became. It was all so cruel, full of hate and spite. I was really surprised to see people who say they are fans of The Walking Dead, talk about characters, cast and executives that way." She spoke with a slight catch in her voice, but didn't cry. Her eyes were still slightly swollen from the night before.

Grabbing her hand he said, "Why didn't you call me? I would have come here."

"Norman, you were busy exhausting yourself remember? At the rate you were going, I knew it would only be a matter of time. I couldn't ask you to come to me when you needed to take care of you."

"Oh, Melissa..."

"No, don't get upset! We are here for each other now and that is all that matters at this point." 

"You are right, as usual," he smiled at her. "Let's bring each other back from where we have been. I promise to take more time for myself..."

"And I promise to focus on the positives in my life." Turning to grab both of his hands, she nodded to him.

"I will devote more time to Mingus and to my mother."

"I will remember how much I love and appreciate my job. And the fans are what make me want to excel even more."

"We can do this, Mellie."

Feeling more optimistic than she had in months, she said, "Yes, we can."

\-----------------------------

~4 weeks later~

When the motorcycle came to a stop, Melissa felt an excitement that had not been in her heart for a long time. Norman told her he needed to talk to her about something, so they packed a picnic and headed for their favorite trail of the state park. He popped the kickstand after she got off and took her helmet from her. He had grown to love the little things she did that he didn't even pay attention to. The way she ran her fingers through her hair after the helmet was off. The little smirk she gave him when he praised her baking, no matter how awful it was. The way she wore her jammie pants with one leg up and one leg down and wasn't even aware she did it. 

He smiled to himself as he grabbed the basket in one hand, threw his other arm around her and led them down the trail. They spread the blanket out and laid down on it. They had spent so much time together over the last four weeks, that as they laid together in silence, there was nothing awkward between them. As the clouds floated by, he felt himself become nervous as he was about to say things to her about how he felt. He hadn't felt this way since he was with Helena all those years ago.

After a few more minutes passed, Melissa said, "Come on, let's eat. It smells wonderful!" She began to serve up plates as he pulled iced tea bottles out of the cooler.

She went to hand him his plate, but as she reached, he said, "I have something I want to say and I can't wait anymore." He slid over next to her and situated them so they were sitting cross legged in front of each other. Taking her hands in his, he brought one up to his lips and placed a gentle kiss on the back of it. Putting their hands in their laps, he made eye contact with her. "We have spent so much time together over the last four weeks, that I no longer see myself without you. What I am trying to say is, I was wondering, um..."

"Yes, Norman, I would," she said with a giggle. "I know our feelings towards each other have changed. I would love to start seeing you and see how it goes."

"How did you know?"

"Like you said, we have spent a lot of time together lately. I knew what you were planning." Her eyes lit with laughter as he sat surprised by what she had figured out.

He leaned forward as pulled her towards him and laid a gentle kiss on her lips. He let her hands go as he tilted her chin allowing the kiss to become deeper. Their tongues found each other while they explored the new territory they had entered. He was amazed at how much kissing her felt right; like it was just where he belonged. When they pulled apart they smiled as they put their foreheads together and wondered what the future would bring.

\------------------------

~5 years later~

Melissa came back from her thoughts and realized that Norman had wrapped her in his arms as he watched the movie. She looked around their house and peace settled her once again as she knew how far they had come together. Their beautiful daughter, Paislee, tucked into her bed, was proof of that.


End file.
